On May 7, 2022, the 𝐔𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 was launched. It is the first ship named “Beloit” to be commissioned into the U.S. Navy. However, it is not the first ship named for Beloit to see service for the United States Government.
The first ship to see service for the U.S. Government was built in 1918 for WWI. It was named the 𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐁𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 at the suggestion of Mrs. Woodrow Wilson in recognition of the city’s achievements in the Liberty Loan (Bond) program. It was a wooden steamer built by the Tacoma Ship Building Company in Washington, with a coal-fired steam reciprocating engine built in Milwaukee. In 1922 it was sold to the Western Marine and Salvage Company and in 1923 it was dismantled and burned.
The second ship named for Beloit was the 𝐒.𝐒. 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲. The name was selected by the Beloit Liberty Loan Committee, as it was the nickname for Beloit at the time. It was built by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation in Bristol, Pennsylvania at the request of the United States Shipping Board (USSB). The ship was a general cargo vessel of 8,800 tons. The length of the vessel was 417 feet and breadth of 54 feet. Its propulsion was provided by two DeLaval steam turbines connected to one screw shaft and was rated at 3,000 hp and a speed of 11 knots.
The ship was launched on July 15, 1920, at 10:20 a.m. by Miss 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐬, a student at Beloit College. She was the daughter of Helen and Rev. Evan J. Evans (St Paul's Episcopal Church) who were present along with Mayor J. A. Janvrin of Beloit at the event. The keel was laid on Dec. 1, 1919, and after the launch, it remained at the builder’s wharf for 3-4 weeks for fitting out and sea trials then it was delivered to the USSB.
In 1931 the SS Gateway City was sold to the Waterman Steamship Company of Mobile, ALA. In 1944 ownershipwas transferred back to the U.S. Government. In November 1945 the ship was transferred to the laid up fleet where it was determined that it would take 20 days and $38,500 to repair. In June 1946, the decision was made to sell it for scrap for $13,750.
A third ship named for Beloit (College) was the 𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭-𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. It was built in Oregon during WWII and delivered in 1944. It has a length of 439 feet and a breath of 62 feet and 7608 tons. It was propelled by two Westinghouse Steam Turbines connected to a single screw shaft. In July 1946 it was transferred to the American Hawaiian Steamship Company. In November 1948 it was placed in the Beaumont reserve fleet. In January 1952 the Lykes Brothers Steamship Co had reactivated it, until November 1953 when it was in the Mobile, ALA reserve fleet. During most of 1957, it was active with the States Marine Corp. of Delaware, ending the year back in the reserve fleet. In August 1963 it was traded to the Metro Petroleum Shipping Co. for a tanker. They sold it to Yeng Tong Company of Taiwan in 1963 and it was scrapped in 1969.